The urn parameter in LinkedIn’s API refers to a unique resource name that identifies a specific user or company. Urns allow LinkedIn’s API to retrieve targeted data about a member or organization without needing to use sensitive information like email addresses or IDs.
What does urn stand for?
URN stands for “Uniform Resource Name”. It is a unique identifier that points to a specific resource, like a user or company profile, on LinkedIn’s platform.
The urn syntax contains the letters “urn” followed by a colon and the unique identifier for that resource. For example:
urn:li:person:1234567
This would be the urn for a user with the ID 1234567. The “li” indicates that this is a LinkedIn specific urn.
Why does LinkedIn use urns?
LinkedIn uses urns rather than direct IDs or emails for a few key reasons:
- Privacy – Urns act as an abstraction layer to avoid exposing private user info like emails or internal IDs.
- Persistence – Emails and IDs may change over time. Urns allow persistent access to resources.
- Scope control – APIs can be granted access to retrieve data for specific urns without full access.
Overall, the urn parameter enables secure, targeted access to LinkedIn data via their API.
How do I get the urn for a LinkedIn user or company?
There are a couple ways to obtain the urn value for a LinkedIn member or organization:
Through the API
Certain API calls will return the urn for a user or company. For example, using the identity API to look up a member by email would return their urn in the response. You can then use that to make additional API calls about that member.
Through share links
When you view a LinkedIn profile or company page, there is usually an option to “Share” or “Copy link”. This link that is generated will contain the urn value for that resource.
For example, a user link might be:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/urn:li:person:1234567
The urn here is the section after “/in/”. Similarly for a company:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/urn:li:organization:34567
So you can parse out the urn from these public profile links.
What can I do with the LinkedIn urn parameter?
The primary use case for the urn parameter is to pass it into LinkedIn’s APIs to retrieve data about a specific user or company. Here are some examples:
Retrieve a user’s profile data
Pass a member’s urn into the /profile API to get their full profile including name, headline, location, connections, etc.
GET https://api.linkedin.com/v2/profile?q=members&urn=urn:li:person:1234567
Get a company’s statistics
Use the company urn with the /organization API to retrieve info like follower counts, employee counts, industry, etc.
GET https://api.linkedin.com/v2/organization?q=urn:li:organization:34567
Search for other connections
Provide a member’s urn to the connection search API to find out your shared connections.
GET https://api.linkedin.com/v2/connections?q=memberConnections&urn=urn:li:person:1234567
Lookup email addresses
The identity API allows looking up a user’s profile by urn to get their associated email address.
GET https://api.linkedin.com/v2/emailAddress?q=members&urn=urn:li:person:1234567
So in summary, the LinkedIn urn makes it possible to leverage the capabilities of their API in a targeted way for a specific user or organization. It enables personalized lookups and actions without compromising privacy.
Are there any limitations with the urn parameter?
There are a couple limitations to note when using the urn parameter in the LinkedIn API:
- Requires authorization – You need an approved API key & access token to use urns.
- Urns can expire – If a user leaves LinkedIn, their urn may eventually expire.
- Only works for retrievals – The API uses urns for gets, not creates or updates.
- Not reversible – Can’t convert urn back to ID or email.
So urns aren’t a permanent, bidirectional identifier. They are mainly intended for authorized read-only API access to LinkedIn data.
How do I get API access to use urn values?
To use urn parameters within LinkedIn’s APIs, you need to first get approved access. Here are the general steps:
- Register as a LinkedIn developer to get a Client ID and Client Secret
- Create a LinkedIn app that requests the scopes of data you want to retrieve
- Submit your app for review and approval by LinkedIn
- Once approved, use your credentials to generate a valid access token
- Pass the access token with calls using urn values to pull LinkedIn data
Be sure to thoroughly review LinkedIn’s authentication and authorization documentation. You will need to explain why your app needs access to read user data via urn lookups.
Are there restrictions on how I can use urn-based data?
Yes, LinkedIn places certain restrictions on how you can use the profile data retrieved using urn values via their API:
- No storing user data persistently without consent
- No selling or sharing retrieved member data
- No automated account creation using profile info
- Follow all LinkedIn terms of use and privacy policies
You need to properly anonymize and aggregate any data accessed via urns. Be transparent in how you plan to display or use that data as well. Failure to follow LinkedIn’s guidelines could lead to revoked API access.
Conclusion
In summary, the urn parameter provides a powerful capability for LinkedIn’s APIs to retrieve targeted, personalized data for a specific member or organization. It enables lookups and analysis of profile data without compromising user privacy. However, urn access requires proper authentication and adhering to LinkedIn’s data policies. Used responsibly, it can enable valuable applications leveraging LinkedIn’s robust platform.